Push-button.



H. WILHELM.

PUSH BUTTON. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1907.

Patented Dec. 15, 1908 Inventor: ifenry Wkelm,

. .By his Attorney, Z

HENRY WILHELM', OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

PUSH-BUTTON.

Specification 01 Letters Batent.

Patentedbec. 15, 1908.

Application filed November 30, 1907. Serial No. 404,614.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY WILHELM, a citizen of the United States, residing in New York, borough of Brooklyn, inthe county of Kings and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Push-Buttons, of which the following is a specification.

The present improvement relates to push buttons, and particularly to push buttons adapted for use with letter boxes of flats and apartment houses and which can also be used, with very slight changes, as a push button on walls of various structures, the object of the invention bein to provide a push button all the parts of which can be readily inserted and removed fromthe front of the box without the necessity of removing the structure to which the button is applied should it be necessary to replace the same with a new one; in other words, to provide a push button complete in itself, without the necessity of having a board or other support for the fiber back, and which push button can be shipped ready for insertion into position in the letter box or other structure wherein it isto be 1 used and can be inserted into such structure q through the front of the opening provided for it therein' A further object of the invention is the provision of a push button such as that hereinbefore referred to which can also be used,

with ver slight changes, in holes in walls and can e locked therein after the same is inserted into the openin or hole in the wall providedtherefor, by t e manipulation of the button, thus doing away with the necessity of attaching the same by means of screws or similar fastening devices.

In the drawings accompanying and forming part of this specification, Figure 1 is asectional view of this improved push button in position in a letter box or similar structure;

'Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the cap of such button detached; Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the cup of such button detached; Fig. 4 is a front view of the cap shown in Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a side view of another form of cup adapted for use in an openin in a wall; Fig. 6 is a front view of the pus button when made for use in an opening in the wall, a part thereof being broken away to show the mode of attachment of the button; Fig. 7 is a top view of the cup shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 8 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but showing that form of push button adapted for use in an opening in a wall or other structure, a portion of the wall being shown Fig. 9 is a perspective View of a letter box partly broken away and showing this improved push button in position thereon; and Fig. 10 is a rear view of a portion of the front of such box.

, Similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts throughout the different figures of the drawings.

In push buttons as hitherto made various means have been used for holding the fiber backs in position, the more general method being, for instance when the push buttons are to be a plied in a series of two, three or five, as in etter boxes in apartment or flat houses, to secure the fiber backs directlyona board which forms the back of the entireset of boxes. This'requires that the board be shi ped with the boxes and push buttons, an that the board be placed in position before the boxes can be secured thereto. Another way is to fix the fiber backs on posts projectin rearwardly of the boxes. And still anot or way is to attach to the rear of the boxes means for supporting the fiber backs and to attach the cap of the button by means of threads to the wall of the opening in the letter box. One of the disadvantages. of some ofthese constructions is that it is usually im ossible to remove the fiber backs through t e openings in the front of the boxes through which the buttons project, so that when it becomes necessary to replace a fiber back or to get at the contact springs thereof the entire box must first be removed in order to make the necessary repairs; while the disadvantage of the other constructions is that the ca and the wall of the opening in the box must both be threaded and the member for en porting the fiber back specially constructed and attached to the letter box at the rear thereof, all of which materially increase the cost of manufacture of devices ofthis character.

The object of the present invention, therefore, is to provide a push button which can be inserted and removed as a whole from the front of the letter box after the same has been attached to the wall, without the necessity of detaching the letter box and which can be shi ped for ready insertion in the letter box wit out the necessity of shipping them mounted on a board, and which will permit, as hereinbefore stated, the fiber back and the other parts of the push button to be readily reached from the front of the letter box and can also, by vs slight changes, be inserted and locked within an opening in a wall, thus doing away, as hereinbefore stated, with in de endent fastening means.

The letter box, one form of which is shown in Fig. 9, has its plate provided with the usual size of opening 2 for the push button. This improved push button comprises, in the preferred form thereof, a cup 3 of sufficient diameter to be inserted into the opening 2 in the letter box plate, from the front thereof. This cup is provided at its rear with an annular rim 4 of sufficient width to locate the fiber back and hold the same within the cup, and is also furnished at its forward edge with an outwardly extending rim 5 ada ted to overlap the edge of the wall surroun mg the opening 2 of the letter box and thus maintain the cup in position within such opening. This cup 3 1s provided with a pair of recesses 6 communicating with its forward edge, and which recesses are of a greater depth than the thickness of the wall of the opening in the front late of the letter box, such wall being 'provi ed with a pair of recesses 7 with which the recesses in t e cup are adapted to register. The cap 8, havm the usual centrally located opening 9 for t e projection of the button, is provided with a rim 10 overlappin the front wall of the letter box plate aroun the opening, and carries at its rear, attached thereto in any suitable manner, a pair of lugs or looking projections 11, which, when inserted into the recesses 6 of the cup after the same is inserted in position within its 0 ening, project in the rear of the front wall 0 the letter box plate, this being ermitted by the recesses 7 formed in the Wall of the opening of the plate, whereby, on turning the ca the rojections 11 will ride up over incline suraces 12 formed on the rear of such front plate adjacent to the opening thereof and thus lock the entire structure in position on the letter box To remove the push button from the letter box, it is merely necessary to reverse the movement of the cap, whereu on the entire structure com rising the cap, t e button, the fiber back an the spring, and also the cup, can be removed from the front of the box, thus enablin all parts of the structure to be gotten at wi iout detachin the box from its support. By forming the ox in the manner shown the necessity of rabbeting the opening is also obviated for the pur ose of limiting the inward movement of t e 'cup. When it is desired to use this same button as a push button for insertion into an openin in a wall which thus corresponds with the p ate of a letter box or other structure, the cup 1s cut away adjacent to its recesses to form a pair of slots 13 and tongues or pro'ections 14,these slots being inclined with relation to the recesses 6, whereby, after the cup is inserted into the opening in the wall and the fiber back inserted, the cap, with its projecting lugs which are in this instance beveled as shown in Fig. 6, is placed in position on the front of the cup, such lugs extending into the recesss and into osition to project into the inclined slots, wii cap in precisely the same manner as when used with a letter box, the inclined ends of the ln s or projections of such cap interlock with t e inclined slots of the cup and also engage the tongues of such cup and force the same outwardly into contact with the wall of the opening, as shown in Fig. 8, thus lockin the button in position against removal, an this without the use of screws or other similar fastening means. In this form of ush button, however, it is referable to end the plate or other mem er carrying the lugs somewhat rearwardly in order to brin the lugs a sufficient distance in the rear 0 the front wall to provide a sufficient thickness of plaster between the lugs .and the front rim of the ca In both forms of the device'herein descri ed the lugs may be carried by a plate or annular rim secured to the cap proper in any suitable way. Asthe cap of the ush button is in both constructions locked by means of a bayonet joint, it follows that the .cap is wedged in position and cannot be as easily removed by a child as when such cap is screwed on, aside from the fact that this does away with the necessity of providing threads, which is expensive.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the construction is very simple, the button being so formed that all of its parts can be inserted in position from the front of the letter box or other opening and locked in position without the use of threads or screws, or similar fastening means, and that by a slight change in the construction of the cup the same button may be used in walls as well as with letter boxes. The number of reccesses formed in the cup, and therefore the number of lugs or projections carried by the cap, may. be varied as circumstances may require, although the best results are obtained by the provision of two recesses in the cup and the provision of a corresponding pair of lugs or projections on the cap.

1 claim as my invention:

1. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a structure having an opening, of a cup adapted to be inserted into such opening from the front of the structure, a cap for said cup and carrying a push button sald cap having means adapted to project at the outer side of the cup and engage means to lock the cup in position on the turning of said cap. v

2. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a structure having an opening, of a cup adapted to be inserted into such opening from thefront of the structure, said cup having a rim overlapping the front ereby, on turning the 'rying a push button said cap of said structure, a cap for said cup and car- I having means adapted to project at the outer sides of the cup and engage means in the rear of the front of said structure to lock the cup in position on the turning of said cap.

3. In a device of the class specified, the combination with a structure having an opening, of a cup adapted to be inserted into such opening from thefront of the structure and having a rim overlapping the front of said structure, a cap for said cup said cap carrying a push button and also having a rim overlapping the front of said structure and having means adapted to project at the outer sides of the cup and engage means in the rear of the front of the structure to lock the Clip in position on the-turning of said cap.

4. n a device of the class specified, the

combination with a structure having an opening, of a cup adaptedto be inserted intosuch opening from the front of the structure and provided with recesses with the outer edge thereof, a cap for said cup said cap carrying a push button and having outwardly extending radial projections adapted to enter said recesses and project at the outer sides of the cup to engage means in the rear of the front of said structure to lock the cu in position on the turning of said cap.

5. Iii a device of the class specified, the combination with a structure having an opening, of a cup adapted to be inserted into such opening from the front of such structure and provided with recesses communicating with the outeredges thereof and also having a rim overlapping the structure, a cap for said cup said ca carrying a push button and having outwar ly extending radial projections fittin saidrecesses and projecting at the outer sides of t e cup to en 'age means located at the rear of the front 0' said structure to lock the cup) in position on the turning of said cap.

6. A push button com rising a cup having recesses at its forward e ge, and a cap carrying a push button and rovided with lugs adapted to ass into said recesses and roject outwar ly beyond said cup at the sldes thereof.

7. A push button comprising a cup having at its rear an inwardly turned flange for the communicating reception of a fiber back and having at its forward edge recesses, and a ca havin radial projections adapted to fit mto sai recesses and project outwardly beyond the side walls of the cu 8. A push button comprisinga cup having recesses terminating in inclined slots, and a cap carrying a push button and having outwardly extending radial projections adapted to pass into said slots.

9. A push button comprising a cup having recesses terminating in inclined slots, and a cap having an .o emng, a push button therein, said cap also aving outwardly extending radial ro ections adapted'to enter the slots of said cup and project beyond the outer sides thereof.

10. A push button comprising a cup having recesses terminating in inclined slots and also having tongues, and a cap having radial projections adapted to enter said slots and engage said tongues and force them outward.

11. A push button comprising a cup having recesses terminating in inclined slots, sa1d cup also having tongues, and a cap provided with radial PIOjGCt-IODS having inchned ends and adapted to enter said slots and engage said tongues to force them outward.

12. The combination with a structure having an opening therein, of a push button comprlsin a cup adapted to fit said opening and provi ed with recesses terminating 1n inclined slots, said clip also having a pair of tongues, and a ca having radial projections provided with inc ined ends adapted to enter said slots and engage said ton ues and force the same into engagement wit the wall.

13. A push button comprising a cup having an inwardly extending rim at its rear, an outwardly extending rim at its front edge, and recesses communicating with its front edge, said recesses terminating in inclined slots, said cup also having tongues, and a cap adapted to overlap said front rim and rovided with radial projections havin inclined ends and adapted to pass into said s ots from said recesses and engage and force the tongues outwardly.

HENRY WILHELM. .Witnesses:

GEORGE M. WHEELER, H. C. MURRAY. 

